TSAMTO, December 23. Long-range aviation is a component of strategic nuclear forces, an integral part of the Aerospace Forces and serves to solve problems in all strategic directions.
Long-range aviation is armed with strategic missile carriers Tu-160 and Tu-95MS, long-range bombers Tu-22M3, tanker aircraft Il-78, training and transport aircraft of various modifications.
During 2021, Long-range aviation crews participated in the joint strategic exercise "West-2021", a joint Russian-Uzbek exercise, exercises with the Northern and Pacific fleets, as well as other combat training events conducted under the leadership of the commander and higher military authorities.
Also in 2021, Long-range aviation crews conducted the third joint air patrol in the Asia-Pacific region with crews of the People's Liberation Army Air Force of China. The peculiarity of the task was the long duration of the flight over the water surface, with crossing the state border and flying over the territory of China.
In addition, Long-range aviation crews have repeatedly performed tasks of patrolling the airspace of the Republic of Belarus.
In 2021, the long-range aviation combat training plan has been completed by 100 percent, including work on training crews for combat use and training flight personnel for qualification categories.
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Long-range aviation originates from the squadron of airships "Ilya Muromets". This world's first compound of heavy bombers was created on the basis of the decision of the Military Council of the Russian Army, which was highly approved on December 23, 1914.
During the years of the First World War, the crews of the squadron carried out about 400 sorties for reconnaissance and bombing of enemy targets. In aerial battles, they destroyed 12 enemy fighters. 39 pupils of the squadron became St. George cavaliers.
With the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, the crews of long-range bombardment units already at noon on June 22, 1941, entered into combat operations to destroy clusters of Nazi troops in the areas of Suwalki and Prasnysh. On June 23, together with naval pilots, they bombed the objects of the deep rear of the Nazis and their allies in Danzig, Konigsberg, Warsaw, Krakow, Bucharest.
During the war, the crews of long-range bombers made about 220 thousand sorties, dropped 2 million 276 thousand bombs of various calibers on enemy troops and facilities. 312 long-range aviators became Heroes of the Soviet Union, and 6 were awarded this title twice.
The new Tu-22M, Tu-95MS, and Tu-160 aviation complexes that entered service with long-range aviation in the 1970s and 1980s raised the role and place of Long-range aviation in the general defense system of the country to a new height.
Today, long-range aviation is armed with upgraded Tu-160 and Tu-95MS strategic missile carriers, Tu-22M3 long-range bombers, Il-78 tanker aircraft and other types of aviation equipment, according to the Department of Information and Mass Communications of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation.
